Information handling system and record elements therefor



y 1967 E. J. FORBES ETAL 3,322,027

INFORMATION HANDLING 'SYSTEM AND RECORD ELEMENTS THEREFOR Original FiledFeb. 24, 1961 'DRWG. 2476- 82-! F INVENTORS EDWARD J. FORBES DAVID P.WAITE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3 Claims. (CI. 88-24) Thisapplication is a division of our prior application, Ser. No. 91,489,filed Feb. 24, 1961, now abandoned This application relates to a systemfor information storage and retrieval, particularly graphic information.

In the field of information handling, particularly graphic informationstorage, retrieval, and reproduction, there is need for a uniformapproach to the problem wherein one universal automatic system may beutilized for a number of different ways to solve various problems.

There is a rapidly increasing amount of graphic information which isrequired to be supplied on demand by copy services. Many agencies of thegovernment and private oraginzations supply scientific documents andother graphic information to fulfill hundreds of requests on demand eachday. Needless to say, such systems which utilize manual request sortingand manual document selection employ a large number of people and havehigh operating costs. Mechanization of the information selection andautomated document processing would considerably reduce the highexpenses of the present known systems.

A particular problem involved in graphic information storage andretrieval systems is created by the fact that the document requestactivity varies considerably for different documents. Usually there areconsiderably less requests for the older documents than for recentdocuments. The distribution pattern of request activity throughout theentire volume of a document file is of basic importance. Because of thelow request activity in the large segment of the file, it is highlydesirable that parallel access be utilized to select the desireddocuments to be copied. However, in filling requests on a highproduction basis,'it is desirable to have a continuous flow line of workespecially the output product; in other words, a continuous copyprinting machine that is operating on a web feed of material andproduces an output copy product on a continuous flow basis. For the mosteconomic operation, the fact that the documents must be selected byparallel access and the copy output provided on a continuous flow basiscreates a problem in automating an information handling system.

Electronic data processing can provide parallel access to information ina file and serial readout of the information but in several problemareas of information storage and retrieval it is not practical to handleinformation in digital form. For example, graphic information such astext, charts, drawings and the like must be handled utilizing recordingmedia such as photographic film or video magnetic tape. In particular,photographic microfilm has become a powerful tool in recordingdocumentary data in microimage form and has become a basic elementemployed in the known attempts to mechanize graphic information storageand retrieval systems.

The known microfilm systems for graphic information storage andretrieval may be generally classified in two general approaches to theproblem involved. One approach is the use of roll film or a continuousweb of microfilm. Another approach to the microfilm handling problem hasbeen to provide a plurality of standard size pieces of microfilm unitrecords chosen for convenience in handling and machine design. The rollfilm approach as well as the ice photographic unit record approach bothhave their advantages in that one can solve the problem of continuouscopy printer flow output while the other allows parallel access toindividual documents, but both approaches also have inherentdisadvantages because a universal information handling system requiresparallel access to select the information and ability to handleinformation in a continuous flow for readout of the selectedinformation.

Roll film provides a continuous web feed for high speed copy or readoutbut does not provide parallel access for selecting a desired portion ofthe file for readout; whereas unit records provide parallel accesswithout handling excessive quantities of adjacent information but do notprovide continuous web readout. Unit records allow purging and up-datingof information in the file by mere removal or substitution of a unitrecord but do not provide low cost transportation of the informationfrom station-tostation within the same physically connected equipment.The unit record concept permits merging, sorting and arranging intodesired order; whereas the roll film concept is committed to a positionof information in a storage roll and refiling may only be done byreplacing the roll or conventional film splicing. However the roll filmis of a size large enough to reduce the likelihood of becoming lost;whereas the unit records are small individual records which may bedropped on the floor or otherwise lost from the file. In summary, rollfilm provides high speed access only when the desired information isadjacent or very near the information presently being readout andprovides high speed readout; by comparison unit records provide greatersimultaneous use of information because of the frequent physicalseparation within the total body of information.

Unfortunately, very few information storage and retrieval problems fallneatly into an area which can be adequately solved either by a roll filmapproach or a unit record approach. Accordingly, applicants haveprovided an information-handling system which combines the advantages ofparallel access to stored information and continuous web feed for highspeed readout and, in addition, provides high speed selection of aportion of a web to be read out while allowing readout at conventionalspeeds. Furthermore, the information-handling system of the inventioneliminates passing each information-bearing unit across a readoutstation in face contact therewith so that substantial amount of wear andscratches occurring in handling of the conventional web film will notoccur in this information-handling system. The system of this inventionfurther allows the merging, sorting, arranging, purging and up-dating ofinformation in a file as well as parallel access by means of providingunit records, but further provides a continuous web feed for high speedreadout machines as well as a low cost of transporting the informationfrom station-to-station by means of connecting the unit records togetherin a chain so that it may be handled as a continuous web.

This invention provides a solution to the problems enumerated above bymeans of quick connectable hinged individual unit records which maycontain graphic information thereon. These unit records are providedwith male and female couplers at each end thereof so that they may berapidly connected or disconnected into a train of like unit records toprovide a web composed of quick connect and disconnect elements. Theedges of the elements in that web are collinear and the quick connectand disconnect couplers on each end of each unit provide that the webmay be folded in zig-zag or accordion fashion, as well as extended fiator rolled up. For certain other problems, the unit elements may behandled individually. Thus, the unit record elements and the system ofthis invention provides a universal system for graphicinformation-handling problems.

It is obvious that the unit records with the quick connect anddisconnect couplers on each end thereof can be assembled in a desiredsequence after parallel access for selection and handled in roll filmfashion using conventional roll film-handling equipment such as viewers,printers, enlargers, roll film printers, electrostatic printers and thelike. After such use the unit records can be quickly disconnected andreturned to storage as individual record units available for subsequentparallel access.

The unit records with the quick connect and disconnect couplers on eachend thereof may be provided from a roll of microfilm by merely stampingthe connectors therein and separating the film into discrete elementswith couplers on opposite ends thereof. In addition, the couplers may beseparately applied high strength materials which may be applied toexisting unit records in the form of microfilm to adapt them to thesystem of this invention. Furthermore, couplers may be attached to avariety of different types of record media such as photographic film,magnetic tape, punched tape, punch cards and the like, providing therecord material has adequate strength and common width dimensions so itwill function as a continuous web when assembled in end-to-endrelationship by means of the quick connect and disconnect coupoints. Theaccordion or zig-zag fold may then be separated and unfoldeddirectlyinto a continuous flat web portion at a'readout station. Theunfolding may be automatic in accordance with sensed informationprerecorded on the edge of each unit record. In other words, each recordmaybe coded on one or more edges thereof and this unique code may bedetected by machine means such as magnetic transducers to control theflattening out of the zig-zag fold into a fiat web at a readout station.In this manner very high speed scanning .of edge code data can be donewith very little motion of the stacked record assembly.

This geometrical arrangement of the zig-zag fold with a flat folded outportion at a readout station has inherent v advantages in that thevelocity or movement of the com- Ipressed stack of accordion folded unitrecords past a sensing station for reading of the edge coded data forthe purpose of selection is at a very low rate of speed for a relativelyfast speed of the unit records moving as a flat web past a readoutstation. Thus, the system provides extremely high speed scanning ofindividual connected record elements with low velocity movement of thecompressed stack of unit records being scanned, as well as high speedreadout of the information from the web which is flattened betweensections of the compressed stack of zig-zag folded unit records. It ispractical with edge code scanning of zig-zag folded unit records to havea scanning rate up to one hundred times faster than the highestpractical rate of scanning flat continuous webs. It can also be seenthat there will be no wear on the accordion folded com-pressed stackportion of the web while in the zig-zag folded condition, as wear occurson the flat faces of the web as they are being handled. Thus, there willbe considerably less wear on the unit records of the subject system, theonly wear being when they are fiattened out at a work readout station.

A better understanding of the invention together with further objectsand advantages thereof will be better un- 10 L-shaped holes 18 areprovided. The L-s haped holes are slightly offset from the axis of theT-shaped exten derstood from a consideration of the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an information record link element of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of links as shown in FIG. 1connected together in a chain to form a web;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side elevation views illustrating alternatearrangements for connecting the element links together to form a chainor web;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of adjacent links illustrating one type ofmale and female quick detachable connectors and the operation ofestablishing a coupling;

FIG. 4 is a perspectiveexploded view illustrating a modification of thisinvention wherein the quick detachable male and female connectors are inthe form of applied elements attached to the ends of individual unitrecords;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an information-handling system utilizing aplurality of the unit record elements or links connected together inzig-zag fashion to form accordion folds which may be flattened out at areadout station.

Referring to the drawings, a unit record element or link 10 isconstructed of photographic film material and may contain thereongraphic information. For example, the unit record element or link 10 maybe completely composed of microfilm with a plurality of frames 12 ofgraphic information contained within the film. In addition to thegraphic information on the microfilm, unit record element 10, there maybe provided visible information 14 along any visible area on the filmrecord element 10. For example, the visible information may be placed ona white ink base 15 and may contain magnetic binary coded informationapplied by a suitable printing machine. The visible information may beused for the purpose of indexing and for code controlled record access.Each unit record element 10 is provided with a configuration at oppositeends thereof which function as quick detachable hinged connectors. Atone end of the record T-shaped extensions 16 protrude longitudinallyfrom the record, while at the opposite end of the record element sion 16so that when made at the edges the longitudinal edges of adjacent unitrecords 10 may be alignedThe T-shaped extensions and L-shaped holes arepreferably formed without sharp edges or corners. to alleviate unduestresses While being handled. The connector configurations may be formedby means of ahot punch for providing the rounded corners.

In addition to the visible index information 14 which are provided witha magnetizable track 26 along one or a more edges thereof. Thismagnetizable track may have suitable magnetically coded information(either digital or analog) thereon for the purpose of'identifying bythis code the graphic information 12 contained on each unit record 10.Such identification is quite valuable in locating a particular unitrecord in a chain of records as will be apparent as the discussionproceeds.

FIG. 2 shows an information element record chain 17. with the recordelement 10 hooked together with similar records and each record hasidentical male and female couplings 16 and 18 on opposite ends thereof.Because of the versatility of the record elements, various other typesof machine readable information other than graphic 7 information onmicrofilm may be carried thereon. For

example, record 20 may be a perforated record element in the form of thewell known perforated statistical card,

. shown. Record 24 may have two separate record media joined together bya common end splice which also functions as a connector. The chain 17may be assembled by parallel access and selection of the various unitrecords and may then be handled by many presently available roll filmcopy and processing machines, and other machines having sensing meansfor reading recorded information fed in web form such as magnetic tape,punched tape, and the like.

In record element link 22 the magnetizable coating 23 covers nearly theentire surface of the unit record link, while the remaining areacontains graphic information 25. This particular configuration may beutilized as a combination storage medium for graphic records plus ofiicedictation carried on magnetizable coating 23, which dictation couldrelate directly to the graphic information or instructions on how laterbusiness operations were to be conducted relative to the graphic record.

FIG. 3 shows a pair of unit records and the manner in which the quickcoupling is accomplished. The coupling and/ or uncoupling may be manualor by means of various mechanical couplers such as a small hand heldunit for various lengths of record chains or a high speed coupler forcoupling or uncoupling a deck of individual record elements. TheT-shaped protrusions 16 forming one portion for accomplishing thecoupling are extended through the narrow portion of the L-shaped hole 18which extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the record. Afterthe T-shaped extension is inserted through this portion of the hole 18by a movement corresponding to arrow 0, the record element containingthe protrusion 16 is moved transverse to the longitudinal axis of theunit record in a direction indicated by the arrow b so that the narrowneck of the T-shaped extension 16 is aligned with the widest part ofL-shaped hole 18. Subsequently, the records may be moved relative toeach other in the direction of the arrow c to accomplish the connectionswith the neck of the T-shaped extension 16 in the outer edge of thewidest portion of the L-shaped slot 18. At this time, the outside edgesof the individual unit record elements 10 will be aligned as shown inFIG. 2. This coupling requires three different relative movements toprevent accidental uncoupling. When the coupling is made the adjoiningrecords are hinged for 180 movement from a position in end-toendrelationship to an abutting face-to-face relationship.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side views of an assembled web or chain of unitrecord elements with alternate connecting arrangements. The malecouplers 16 are designated M and the female couple-rs 18 are designatedF. FIG. 2a is a side levation of a web connected as shown in FIG. 2 withthe ends of the unit records at the connections being on alternate sidesof the web facilitating a zig-zag fold. FIG. 2b illustrates a connectedchain with the extending ends of the unit record elements all on thesame side of the web. The FIG. 2b construction is especially useful ifthe chain is to be used as roll film in present roll film handlers.

FIG..4 is an illustration of another type of coupler which may beutilized. The unit record 10 shown in FIG. 1 may have the male andfemale couplers formed by T- shaped extensions 16 and L-shaped holes 18formed in a roll of chopped film. This roll of film may be an existingfilm roll so that presently existing microfilm files may be automated bythe system of this invention. Alternatively, to make unit recordelements by chopping an individual film, there may not be enough spacebetween frames to form the couplers, or for other reasons, such asstrength and wear resistance, it may be desirable to form separatecouplers which can be integrally applied to the ends of unit records. Asshown in FIG. 4, these couplers may be in the form of separately appliedelements 26 and 28 functioning as the female and male components,respectively, of the quick detachable coupling. The elements 26 and 28may be formed of thin (.002 inch thick) high-strength transparentmaterial such as that sold under the trademark Mylar, having a pressuresensitive or heat sensitive adhesiv surface 29 on the inside thereof forjoining two individual unit records 10. Male element 28 is similarlyconstructed and may be formed of a doubled over layer of Mylar which canbe suitably dispensed in the preformed elements from a roll or the like.

The unit record to which the male coupling 28 is applied shows anothermodification of the invention. In this case, the unit record consists oftwo different record media 38 and 32 which may b joined together by themeans of an applied end coupling to form a single unit record. Of coursethe elements 30 and 32 must have chemical compatability, be ofsufiicient strength, similar thickness and expansion coeflicients tooperate satisfactorily.

Various forms of quick detachable hinge couplers may be used so long asthey fulfill th requirements set out above. It should be noted that thecouplers illustrated include a built-in polarization that requires tworecord elements to be in a unique position before they can be assembled.If the emulsion layer of two film record elements are on the top side ofthe element configuration, it is evident that the two elements cannot beproperly joined unless the emulsion sides of the film remain on the sameside of the resulting web. The edges of the individual record elementsmay also be rounded and the effective edges provided by appliedcouplings 26 and 28 may also be soft and rounded.

A system for handling the unit record elements to provide readout on acontinuous basis from selected records is shown in FIG. 5. The recordsmay be selected by parallel access or may be selected by other means andassembled as shown in FIG. 2, for example, into a chain of elements.This chain is then folded in accordion or zigzag form 34 so that thefaces of the records will b abutting one another. The folding andunfolding to and from roll form may be accomplished by automatic foldermeans. A readout station 36 may be provided with a suitable source ofillumination 38 and optics such as schematically illustrated condensinglens 40, together with an unobstructing gate element 42 including vacuumholddown and projection optics 44 for projecting on a viewing screen 46or onto a continuous flow copy printing machine in the place of screen46. The unit record links 10 pass from the accordion fold compressedstack 34 to a position where they are folded out flat at 48 for passingin front of the gate 42 for readout. After being read out, the elements10 are again folded up into accordion or zigzag fold as at 50.

The compressed stack may be supported in a variety of positions in spaceby suitable mechanical guide means. One method which will provesatisfactory when the continuous web is not intended for roll formutilizes short rods imbedded in the end of the female coupler 16 whichacts as hangers protruding out from the sides at the top of stack 34.The outer extremities of these pins ride in shallow grooves in sidewalls placed adjacent to the compressed stack or on rails placedadjacent to the sides of the compressed stack. Where compatibality withroll form use of the continuous web is required, a compressed stack maybe stored in an upright position supported by the integral stiffness ofits individual elements in addition to side supports. Such self supportis easily obtained if the stack rests with the elements on the longestdimension so that the zig-zag is in a horizontal rather than verticalplane.

Air jets 51, 52 or other suitable biasing means are provided forcreating an air piston for biasing the compressed folded stack 34 towardthe readout station while other air jets 53 and 54 and a mechanicalinsertable finger 49 are selectively actuatable (either manually or bypreprogrammed controls) to assist in folding out selected elements 10 toa flat web portion 48 as illustrated. The selectively operable jets 52and 53 are under the control of sensing means 55 such as magnetictransducers or the like which read the edge coded data 26. If a selectedelement is desired to be viewed the transducers sense the edge codeddata on the selected element and aid in energizing be edge scanned. Forexample,

or controlling the air nozzles 53 and 54 for folding out the web portioncontaining the selected element. Similar air jet nozzles 57 and 58 arecontinuously operable to assist in folding up the web again into zig-zagfashion to form a compressed stack 50 and for biasing the compressedstack away from the readout station. Another sensing transducer means59, which could function as a low speed serial reader, is provided alongthe edges of the fiat portion 48 of the record chain.

Thus, after the proper accordion pleat determining the particular unitrecord to be read has been located by the sensing means 55 and/or 59 orby visual means, the fold can be opened at that point by separating themajor bulk of the compressed folds on each side of the unit record ofinterest.

As an alternative construction, not shown, and to provide for asimplification in electronic components and circuit logic, a partialexpansion of the zig-zag stack may be produced as it passes the scanninghead. This can be easily accomplished by opposing air nozzles positionedadjacent to the stack at the element hinge point locations. If one airjet is turned on and is directed into an open pleat, it will pull thenext pleat partially open and in position to be further opened by a jetof air if turned on by the opposing air nozzle. The two air jets,controlled by the sensing means to occur in a sequential manner, willstep successive elements through a partially expanded zigzag area inwhich the sensing means 55 is located. Since one element at a time goesthrough the sensing area, inclined at a substantial angle, each bit ofinformation recorded on the magnetic strip is read serially in time, andtherefore can be read by a single sensing element of sufiicient lengthto be intercepted by the location of the full pattern of bits stored onthe magnetic strip.

Entire sections of the compressed stack 34 can be passed at extremelyhigh speed past the readout station 36 without obstruction becausesufficient space is provided between condenser 40 and gate 42. Thisarrangement provides selective access in accordance with the sensing ofthe edge coded data on adjacent record elements. The speed with whichlarge segments of the total collection of information can be sensed andjumped over is quite phenomenal and is inherent in the geometricalconstruction. En ire collections or large subdivisions thereof may berapidly fed past the scanning means 55 because of the high speed of edgescanning of the compressed stack. It is evident that the velocity of thecompressed stack 34 indicated by arrow v will besu-bstantially less thanthe velocity of the folded outweb portion 48 indicated by arrow v Byleaving a stationary zone in the transport mechanism which is indicatedschematically by the air control, the scanned portion of the compressedstack can be brought to a rest position while the scanning mechanismgoes back to the next portion of the unscanned compressed stack 34 topick up the next bite of material to the transducer 55 may be movableback and forwards along the edges of the compressed stack 34 or thecompressed stack may be movable in sections.

It is apparent that the transportable compressed stack will have verylow wear thereon because of the manner in which the images on therecording surfaces of the unit record are packed face-to-face in thestack 34 and only opened and moved across the readout station whendesired. This contrasts sharply with the roll film concept wherein eachframe on the roll is subject to scratches whenever the roll is handledto select a particular frame. The low wear feature of this inventioncomplements the higher available cycling speeds by the high speedscanning and the combinations of these features means that largeinformation files can be cycled in short times repeatedly many times perday without subjecting them to the same exposure to wear and scratchingthat would occur in roll film systems.

Although the system has been described for operation 8 i r in onedirection it will be evident that it may be operated in either a forwardor reverse direction.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the disclosedpreferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising: a plurality of informationbearing unit record links containing quick detachable hinged couplers onopposite ends thereof, said links being assembled together to form achain of similar links and said chain of links being folded in zig-zagfashion to form a compressed stack, a detachable edge coding on the edgeof -said links, a support for said compressed stack of links, means formoving said chain of links, a readout station for said links when foldedout flat, said readout station allowing said compressed links to passtherethrough, sensing means for sensing a predetermined detectable edgecoding on the edge of one of said links and fold out means responsive tosaid sensing means for folding out the sensed link fiat for readout.

2. An information handling system as defined in claim 1 furthercomprising, fold up. means on the side of the readout station oppositesaid fold out means, said fold up means acting to fold up the linkswhich are spread out fiat for readout. i

3. A graphic information handling system comprising in combination: aplurality of unit record links of photographic film chips bearingrecognizable graphic information thereon, quick detachable male andfemale couplers on each end of each link allowing said links to behingedly connected for movement from one plane through into faceabutting relationship, means defining coded information on magnetizedareas on at least one edge of each of said links, a compressed connectedstack of said links formed. from a chain of said links connectedtogether and folded in zig-zag fashion, an optical readout stationemploying projection optics means for projecting I and reading out thegraphic information onindi'vidual record links when said links areunfolded from said com-.

pressed stack and spread out flat, the optical readout station alsoallowing thecompressed stack to'pass therethrough without being spreadout flat, means biasing said compressed stack toward said opticalreadout station, sensing means including magnetic transducers forsensing the edge coded information on each of said links, selectivelyoperable fold out means cooperating with said compressed stack ahead ofsaid optical readout station operative in response to commands from saidsensing means to selectively fold out a predetermined portion of saidcompressed stack into flat spread out position for optical readout, andfold up means operable to fold up the spread out links into a zig-zagfolded compressed stack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,264 5/1937 Breen, 2,124,9067/ 1938 Bryce. 2,573,557 10/1951 Field 8828 2,594,358 4/1952 Shaw 88242,981,411 -4/1961 Azari. 3,045,529 7/1962 Kuehnle' 8824 X 3,103,8509/1963 Khowry et al 22697 X 3,202,045 8/ 1965 Arsenault et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 793,717 4/1958 Great "Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

V. A. SMITH, R. A. WINTERCORN,

Assistant Examiners.

1. AN INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF INFORMATIONBEARING UNIT RECORD LIKS CONTAINING QUICK DETACHABLE HINGED COUPLERS ONOPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID LINKS BEING ASSEMBLED TOGETHER TO FORM ACHAIN OF SIMILAR LINKS AND SAID CHAIN OF LINKS BEING FOLDED ING ZIG-ZAGFASHION TO FORM A COMPRESSED STACK, A DETACHABLE EDGE CODING ON THE EDGEOF SAID LINKS, A SUPPORT FOR SAID COMPRESSED STACK OF LINKS, MEANS FORMOVING SAID CHAIN OF LINKS, A READOUT STATION FOR SAID LINKS WHEN FOLDEDOUT FLAT, SAID READOUT STATION ALLOWING SAID COMPRESSED